World Lacrosse Super Sixes: confident GB boss Wenham says team can fire in new format, targets LA Ol

Wenham said the governing body in the UK was very committed to the new “really exciting format that we feel we can be competitive in”.

“We’ve got some players who’re very well suited to that format across both the men’s and the women’s team,” he said. “So, we’re confident, certainly hopeful and working towards being the best that we can be in terms of Sixes.”

Sixes was included at the LA Games in October, and Wenham believes the new status has already made a “massive difference” to the sport.

“It unlocks all sorts of resources, potentially support but definitely increases the profile,” the former England national team member said.

“So our hope is that we can use Sixes at the elite end from an Olympic perspective to drive performances, to help us be more competitive in major tournaments, but also to increase participation at community levels, to get more juniors playing, both men and women, in schools, in community settings.”

Wenham, who has been the head coach for nearly 10 years, has been a European champion as both a player and a coach, and believes that is where his nation belongs.

“Any future plans are obviously driven by the Olympics and we’ll try to understand what the qualification process might look like,” Wenham said.

“How do we best go about accessing that and ensuring that we have a place at the Olympics will be our first and top priority.”

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The experienced coach added that they want to pursue competition in Europe to maintain Great Britain’s position as the strongest side in the region, while being able to test themselves in major international competitions.

“So Hong Kong is fabulous for us. I think there’s every chance that we’d want to make this an annual event on our calendar so we’re looking forward to that,” he said.

“And then with the strength of lacrosse being in North America, the tournaments in Canada and the US are the types of competitions we’d want to compete in.”

Great Britain will be sending its men’s team, as well as a women’s team led by Phil Collier, to Hong Kong for the tournament, which runs from December 29 to 31 on artificial football pitches in Aberdeen and Wong Chuk Hang.

Great Britain’s men have been placed in Group B alongside the Philippines, and the hosts, who they will play in the last game of the first round on Friday. The day’s first match will be a Group A clash between China and Germany, with Japan the third side in that group.

There are seven teams in the women’s competition, with Hong Kong fielding two sides. Hong Kong II, Germany, the Philippines and the Czech Republic make up Group A, with Hong Kong I, China and Great Britain in Group B.

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